1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to crop material harvesting machines and, more particularly, is concerned with improved structure for facilitating quick and easy attachment of a crop harvesting header to the mobile frame of the machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some crop harvesting machines, such as self-propelled windrowers or the like, utilize a header which has a length of twelve or more feet for harvesting wide swaths of standing crop. However, because of legal highway width restrictions in most localities, a header of such size must be road transported to and from the field separately from the mobile power unit or tractor. Thus, it is desirable to be able to easily attach and detach the header to and from the tractor.
The header is commonly mounted to the tractor by a suspension assembly which includes upper and lower lift arms pivotally interconnecting and extending between the tractor and the header and resilient springs usually positioned between the tractor and the lower lift arms or some lower part of the header itself for providing flotation of the header from the tractor. Such mounting arrangement is disclosed and illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,589,115 and 3,699,754.
The suspension assembly remains with the tractor and, therefore, heretofore, the header has been attached to or detached from the tractor by fastening or unfastening bolts which have been inserted through aligned holes formed in the lower header portions and the outer ends of the lower lift arms.
However, attachment of the header to the tractor, as accomplished heretofore, has been particularly time-consuming and involves the attention of at least two persons in that alignment of the respective holes in the lower arm outer ends and in the mounting brackets on the lower header portions must be sighted by one person while another person skillfully maneuvers the tractor and accurately vertically positions the lower lift arms, then a bolt must be inserted through each set of aligned holes and finally a nut fastened on each bolt.